California gives nod to 485MW Blythe PV project

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 19:01 (PV-Tech)

The California Energy Commission has given approval for NextEra Energy’s Blythe Solar Power project to switch from parabolic trough technology to photovoltaic. Read more

Enphase reaches more than 1 GW-AC of microinverters shipped, launches new products

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 18:04 (Solarserver)

Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, California, U.S.) reports that it has shipped more than 1 GW-AC of its microinverters to accompany solar photovoltaic (PV) generation since the launch of its first microinverter in 2008. This includes 107 MW-AC of microinverter shipments in the fourth quarter of 2013, a 30% year-over-year increase. Read more

Bright Spots and Challenges Facing China’s PV Industry in 2014

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

China’s photovoltaic (PV) market is starting to look more promising. Nevertheless, the industry needs to address certain challenges during the next round of development. Unless the cost of power generation is reduced, the prospects for the market will be not as bright as expected. Looking ahead into the coming year, three positive factors are already apparent: Read more

California Gives Go-Ahead to Blythe Solar Plan

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 22:57 (Renewable Energy World)

The California Energy Commission (CEC), following the recommendation of its own staff, has approved the proposed shift of NextEra's Blythe Solar Power Project from concentrated solar power (CSP) to solar photovoltaic (CPV). Read more

Clean Energy Collective Digs into Solar Gardens in Massachusetts

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 22:11 (Renewable Energy World)

Colorado-based community-solar garden developer Clean Energy Collective (CEC) announced today (Jan. 15) that it’s building new community solar gardens in Massachusetts. The solar gardens will allow the majority of Massachusetts residents and businesses to harvest the benefits of solar—even if they can’t put it on their roof or in their yard—by purc Read more

Listen Up: Brad Mattson with Siva Power Talks Thin Film Solar PV

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 20:24 (Renewable Energy World)

Thin film solar technology is compelling: a way to make panels in a continuous or large batch fashion instead of assembling and gluing individual cells to the back of glass. But with very few exceptions (notably First Solar), more thin film companies litter the solar graveyard than any other product category. Read more

National ‘Shout Out For Solar’ Day Enjoys Broad Support

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 16:53 (Renewable Energy World)

On January 24, 1974 — with Richard Nixon in the White House, but knee deep in the Watergate scandal — five people met in the noisy basement of the Washington Hilton to discuss the possibility of establishing an association for the nascent solar energy industry. They agreed to create "a broad-based trade association supporting prompt, orderly, wides Read more

Principal Solar to expand PV project acquisitions

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 16:06 (PV-Tech)

US-based solar energy holding company, Principal Solar (PSI) is planning to increase its portfolio of solar related PV power plants after filing registration documents to become the first distributed solar energy utility. Read more

Japan installs 3.97 GW of solar PV in seven months

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 15:48 (Solarserver)

Japan installed 3.97 GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity during the first seven months of its most recent fiscal year, April 1st through October 31st, 2013, according to the nation's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). METI found installations of 870 MW of residential PV and 3.12 GW of “non-residential” PV during the seven-month period. Read more

ReneSola supplies 31.7MW of modules for Suffolk solar farm

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 14:05 (Solarpowerportal)

ReneSola has confirmed that it has provided Isolux Corsan with 31.7MW of modules for a solar farm project in Suffolk. Read more

ReneSola supplies 31.7MW of modules to UK solar plant

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 13:56 (PV-Tech)

China-based manufacturer ReneSola has supplied PV modules for construction company, Isolux Corsan’s 31.7MW UK project. Read more

Low Carbon and Macquarie announce 34MW of new projects for UK solar portfolio

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 13:24 (Solarpowerportal)

Renewable energy investment company Low Carbon has announced the launch of its second phase of collaboration with Macquarie Capital which aims to build a UK solar farm portfolio of up to 300MW. Read more

Murata Manufacturing to install 1.6MW solar array

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 13:22 (PV-Tech)

Electronic device producer, Murata Manufacturing is installing a 1.6MW solar power array at its subsidiary Tokyo Denpa’s (TEW) Gunma Plant. Read more

Mrata Manufacturing to install 1.6MW solar array

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 13:22 (PV-Tech)

Electronic device producer, Murata Manufacturing is installing a 1.6MW solar power array at its subsidiary Tokyo Denpa’s (TEW) Gunma Plant. Read more

Three quarters of Japan’s approved FiT capacity remains unbuilt

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 13:05 (PV-Tech)

Japan added just under 4GW of solar capacity between 1 April 2013 and 31 October 2013, but three quarters of the capacity approved under its feed-in tariff remains unbuilt, according to official figures. Read more

Lightsource urges Somerton locals to ‘Get Involved’ with solar farm proposal

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 13:03 (Solarpowerportal)

Lightsource Renewable Energy has launched a ‘Get Involved’ campaign today in order to encourage local residents to help shape and design its proposed solar farm in Somerton. Read more

Texas’ 39MW Alamo 4 PV plant breaks ground

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 12:17 (PV-Tech)

The fourth phase of Texas’ largest solar project, Alamo, is now under construction near the city of San Antonio. Read more

Switzerland installs 300 MW of solar PV in 2013

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 8:49 (Solarserver)

Switzerland installed 300 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2013 which brought the nation to a cumulative capacity of 730 MW, according to industry association Swissolar (Zurich). The association estimates that this allows PV to meet around 1% of electricity demand. While Switzerland's Federal Council has aimed for PV to meet 2% of electricity demand in 2020, Swissolar expects this to be reached by 2016. Read more

Saft to build 9 MW solar PV plant with energy storage on French island La Réunion

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 8:43 (Solarserver)

Akuo Energy (Paris) has chosen Saft Groupe SA (Paris) and partners to build a 9 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project integrated with a 9 megawatt-hour (MWh) lithium-ion battery storage system near a prison on the French island of La Réunion. Ingeteam (Sarriguren, Spain) and Corex Solar (La Réunion) have partnered with Saft to build the Bardzour plant on a turnkey basis, with completion expected during the first half of 2014. The project is the largest in a group of 16 awarded in 2012 under a French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) solicitation for PV projects with storage in Corsica and overseas departments. Read more

Yingli to provide solar PV modules in Japan through XSOL

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 8:36 (Solarserver)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (Baoding, China) has signed an agreement to supply solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to XSOL Co. Ltd. (Kyoto, Japan) for the Japanese market. Under the agreement XSOL will sell and promote YGE 60 Series modules beginning in mid-January 2014. Yingli notes that it was the first PV module maker certified to meet the high reliability standards of Japanese customers under TÜV Rheinland's (Cologne, Germany) JIS Q 8901 certification. Read more

China Sunergy collaborates with UNSW on advanced hydrogenation technology

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 12:40 (PV-Tech)

China Sunergy and the University of New South Wales, Australia (UNSW) are undertaking a five-year R&D programme to significantly improve solar wafer material quality using UNSW’s advanced hydrogenation technology. Read more

Caribbean Islands Fight High Electricity Costs with Geothermal Energy

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 15:32 (Renewable Energy World)

In recent months, a number of companies have announced plans to develop geothermal energy projects at locations across the Caribbean, including Nevis Island, Dominica and St. Vincent. Why is the Caribbean such a promising region for the development of geothermal energy facilities? And what are the prospects for the expansion of the geothermal sector across the region? Read more

Rhubarb: Great for Pie…and Batteries?

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 20:29 (Renewable Energy World)

Harvard scientists announced in the most recent issue of Nature that they have developed a flow-battery that stores energy using a naturally occurring organic molecule. Flow-batteries, a type of rechargeable battery, store chemical energy in two large tanks of liquid. That energy is then converted to electricity by passing ions between the two tank Read more

IHS: Grid-tied energy storage market to reach 40 GW by 2022

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 14:50 (Solarserver)

IHS Inc. (Englewood, Colorado, U.S.) has released a new report which forecasts the annual market for grid-connected energy storage systems at over 6 GW in 2017, from its current state of 340 MW annually. By 2022, the company expects even greater growth to an annual market of over 40 GW. Read more

IHS: Grid-connected energy storage to exceed 40GW by 2022

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 14:37 (PV-Tech)

Grid-connected energy storage installed globally will exceed 40GW by 2022, according to a research report by IHS published in late December. Read more

Renewable Energy Installation Guarantee Agency ceases trading

Thursday, 1.16.2014 - 7:15 (Solarpowerportal)

The Renewable Energy Installation Guarantee Agency (REIGA) has ceased trading as of January 2014. Read more